‘Halloween Haunt’ scares up good time at Kansas City’s Worlds of Fun
Imagine 400 zombies, ghouls, monsters and crazy clowns and people roaming Worlds of Fun in the dark. That’s the case in Kansas City as the theme park hosts its Halloween Haunt Fridays and Saturdays Sept. 14th through Oct. 27, 2019.
The park transforms from a fun, happy family-oriented theme park to a fear factory each Friday and Saturday evening. The transformation begins about 6 p.m. with loud music booming through the park. It’s common to see parents pushing strollers through the exits as they evacuate Worlds of Fun before the “fun” starts. The park recommends Halloween Haunt for people 14 and older.
About 6:30, fog machines kick into action, blanketing the park. You want a breezy night so the fog flows through the area. Soon after, you can spot a few creatures milling about near the entrance plaza.
Then, suddenly, at 7 p.m., smoke and fire erupt, and up comes the Overlord. The leader of the 400 creatures, starts calling the zombies, spirits, monsters et al to wreak havoc over the park and the “victims” inside.
As the monsters gather, they start working up a frenzy, moving through the audience, scaring people. Then, the 400 creatures start their parade. It lasts a few minutes and is pretty intimidating to watch. Once they complete the parade, the creatures disperse to their specific haunts – mazes and scare zones.
The characters are scary, gory and sexy.
The mazes include: Cornstalkers (similar to “Children of the Corn”), Miss Lizzie’s Chamber of Horrors (an evil, freaky wax museum), London Terror (where you are likely to run into Jack the Ripper), Zombie High (where they say you’re “Saved by the Hell”), Lore of the Vampire (vampires, of course), Asylum Island (freaky insane patients (or, as I like to say, Thanksgiving at the in-laws)) and Bloodshed (a human slaughterhouse).
We hit Bloodshed, AKA MacDonalds Farm. The four of us – Nicole and her husband Pete (she runs the blog Mom Saves Money – www.momsavesmoney.net), Lisa and I “enjoyed” our visit to the farm. You go through a maze that is inside a barn. You encounter body parts hanging throughout. You may even run into a giant pig’s head.
The characters inside the barn could easily be related to the folks from “The Hills have Eyes” and maybe “Deliverance.”
As embarrassing as this is to admit, I will say I did get spooked at least once. I was not expecting THAT to happen. Each of us admitted to getting spooked. We enjoyed our visit to Bloodshed.
If you go through Bloodshed, check out the “key” room. You will have a truly freaky experience. The key room is an extra cost.
It’s been several years since Lisa and I have visited a spook house. Our youngest daughter was in sixth grade, and we took her and two friends to a couple of haunted houses. Times have changed. More gore and realism today.
Worlds of Fun has three additional scare zones: The Boneyard (zombies), CarnEvil (evil clowns) and Outlaws Revenge (haunted cowboy spirits).
In addition, monsters roam the park, sneaking up and scaring people.
The wait lines for each attraction can take up to an hour or so. It may be a great idea to spend a few more dollars and buy a Fright Lane pass, which gets you to the front of the line quicker. It costs, but may be worth it if you want to visit more than one fear attraction.
If you need some downtime to catch your breath or try to regain your sanity, you can check out a magic show hosted by Ed Alonzo. Name sound familiar? He was Max on “Saved by the Bell.” He ran the diner where Zac and the gang hung out.
Alonzo’s “Psycho Circus of Magic and Mayhem” is definitely an adult-only show. I strongly advise against bringing anyone younger than 17 to the show. Treat it like an R-rated movie.
Alonzo focuses his magic tricks with adult-themed jokes. However, all four of us were impressed with his trick of transporting a duck more than 20 feet during one trick. Another trick involved spinning a box on wheels and having his four female dancers appear one at a time.
Alonzo does perform family-focused shows during the day. That show would be perfect for young children.
Worlds of Fun operates a scare-free zone during the day. People can stroll through some of the areas, such as The Boneyard, without worrying about zombies or other creatures trying to scare them. You can see props displayed through the scare zones, including clowns, scarecrows and cowboys on stakes.
The park has a play area near the entrance, where kids can climb on large jack-o-lantern props.
Worlds of Fun’s Halloween Haunt is open Friday and Saturday nights through October 27.
For more information on the Halloween Haunt, including prices and Fright Lane prices, please visit the park’s website at www.worldsoffun.com.
Disclaimer: Thank you to Worlds of Fun for the complimentary tickets. However, all opinions and views are ours.
